Star Wars

I was always puzzled when I read these words in the Torah, “I shall surely bless you and greatly increase your offspring like the stars of the heavens and like the sands of the sea… all the Nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your offspring, because you have listened to my voice.” The angel of G-d spoke these words to Abraham after the near sacrifice of Isaac.
 
At the present time, the Jewish people total about 14 million, constituting a mere .2% of the world’s population. Now, I don’t know about you, but compared to the total population of the world, this number seems incredibly small, hardly as “numerous as the stars of the heavens”, or the “sands of the seashore.” What happened? Was the angel lying to Abraham?
 
The Bible story where Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons may help explain this mystery. Jacob blesses the younger son Ephraim saying that his offspring will “fill the nations” or “become a multitude of nations.” Although there are commentaries giving various midrashic explanations for this blessing, where in the Bible does Ephraim literally become a multitude of nations, and most importantly, what are the implications for the Jewish people?
 
In the year 973 BCE, the ten northern tribes of Israel seceded from the rest of the Jewish people to form their own nation. The tribe Ephraim was the leader of the northern Kingdom of Israel, and it was frequently called by his name. The northern tribes created their own temple and began idolatrous practices. After 200 years, the Assyrians conquered them causing Ephraim and the other tribes to be dispersed and assimilated throughout the Nations. Thus there are millions of people in the world who were originally part of the tribe of Ephraim and his followers who have now become literally a “multitude of nations”, or who “fill the nations” and are no longer part of the Jewish people.
 
This painful episode in our history may help explain a surprising statement from the Talmud, Pesachim 87b, which says that the Jews were sent into exile “only for the purpose of gathering converts.” Given Jews reluctance to proselytize, this seems like a radical statement. However, if one considers that the “ten lost tribes” including their leader, Ephraim, have now “filled the nations”, becoming a “multitude of nations”, and are no longer Jewish, this Talmudic statement makes sense. Being dispersed to the “four corners of the Earth”, Jews are now able to regather our “lost tribes” by helping them convert and rejoin the Jewish people. The Prophets describe a time in the end of days before the coming of the Messiah, when the “ten lost tribes” will rejoin the Jewish people. How might this occur?
 
We know that for the Jews, the Kohens take on the priestly role, leading the service in the Temple, as well as teaching Jews their religious obligations, but why does the Torah state that the Jewish people in its entirety will become a “kingdom of priests?” Yehuda Levi explains that even as the priests were to be the teachers and holy leaders for the Jewish people, so, too, the Jews are to become the holy leader (teachers) for the rest of the world. Becoming a Kingdom of Priests can be considered our “highest mission” according to the previous Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Rabbi Joseph Hertz.
 
Carrying out this mission will then literally change the world, infusing G-dly values to all the Nations, perfecting the world, and hopefully speeding the coming of the Messiah. But what does this mission have to do with Jews becoming as numerous as the “stars in the heavens.”
 
There is one final part of our story that will make things clear. In the section of Deuteronomy where the “curses” that can befall the Jewish people are stated,  the Torah says, “whereas you could have been as numerous as the stars in the sky, you have remained a small people, because you did not listen to me..” Now the reason for Jews remaining small in number becomes clear, “BECAUSE YOU DID NOT LISTEN TO ME, (G-d)”, the opposite behavior of Abraham, who received G-d’s blessing to become as numerous as the “stars in the heavens” because he listened to G-d’s voice.
 
Thus by not listening to G-d and doing what He has asked of us, we are living under the “curse” of remaining a small people. Since one of our primary missions as a Kingdom of Priests is to spread G-dly values to the world, as well as “gather converts” as it says in the Talmud, we will know when we are doing our mission, eventually becoming “as numerous as the stars of the heaven”, either literally, or figuratively, as some of our sages imply. This can occur literally, if we gather the millions of those descendants of Ephraim and the other “lost tribes” who are dispersed throughout the world, bringing them back to their Jewish heritage, and their mission. It can also occur if we are so inspiring in playing our role in being a “Light unto the Nations”, that non Jews will want to join us in doing our world elevating mission, as righteous converts, or as righteous Gentiles, living by the seven universal, or Noahide laws.
 
This will also spur those Jews who are not taking their Judaism seriously, to reconsider their behavior. As commentator, Dennis Prager has written, “nothing will persuade born Jews to take Judaism seriously, than converts to Judaism who take it seriously.”
 
Since we have remained a small people, did the angel lie to Abraham? Well, it depends on our actions. This is a situation where we, the Jewish people, get to determine the outcome. We may have lost a few battles, but we still have time to win the war.
 
The rest of the story now becomes clear. By finally fulfilling our mission we will stop remaining a small people, literally or figuratively, living under the “curse” because we “did not listen to G-d.” By becoming a “Holy People” and a “Kingdom of Priests,” we will teach G-dly values to the world, becoming as “numerous as the stars of the heavens”, and will ultimately fulfill the prophesy, meriting the coming of the Messiah.
 
All the Nations of the earth shall be blessed, because we have finally “Listened to His Voice.”